title: Correlation of morphologic and pathologic features of the various tendon groups around the ankle: MR imaging investigation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine if a statistical association exists between abnormalities in one ankle tendon group (i.e., peroneal, medial flexor, or Achilles) and those in another.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective analysis of 1.5-T and 3-T MR ankle examinations in 100 patients conducted between November 1, 2011 and April 1, 2012 was performed. The cross-sectional areas and diameters of the ankle tendons-Achilles (ACH), peroneus brevis (PB) and longus (PL), tibialis posterior (TP), flexor digitorum longus (FDL), and flexor hallux longus (FHL)-were measured, and the results were correlated to determine any association with the presence of qualitative abnormalities (tenosynovitis, tendinosis, and tendon tearing).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Subjects with larger diameters of the ACH tendon also revealed larger PL, TP, FDL, and FHL tendon diameters and sectional areas. Furthermore, subjects with larger PL tendons generally revealed larger flexor tendons and the same was also true when medial compartment tendons were individually assessed and measurements compared among the three of them. There was a statistically significant association with regard to the presence of tendon abnormalities (tendinosis, tenosynovitis, and tearing) in both the peroneal and medial flexor tendons. The presence of an abnormality in the ACH tendon correlated strongly with increasing diameters and areas of all the other ankle tendons except for the PB tendon.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is an association between quantitative and qualitative abnormalities of one group of tendons when compared with the others with respect to the ACH, medial flexor, and peroneal tendons of the ankle, which is perhaps explained by a retinacular and fascial complex that anatomically connects the three groups.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Prof. Doutor Fernando Fonseca Hospital, IC 19 - Venteira, 2720-276, Amadora, Portugal. pvaldezpt@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cabral
authors.forename: Cláudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Paulino
authors.forename: Rogério
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Clopton
authors.forename: Donald
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Resnick
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000843:Ankle Joint; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011174:Portugal / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D052256:Tendinopathy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D013708:Tendon Injuries / Q000473:pathology*; D013710:Tendons / Q000473:pathology*; D055815:Young Adult